Aaron vs. The Three Bears

This Sunday, I went out for a ride in the hills near our place and I tried to snap a few pics to share with you, the devoted reader. ( And, given that this is our first post in nearly a month, you must really be devoted if you are reading this).

The Three Bears Loop is a well-known training route for East Bay cyclists. It takes its name from the three climbs on Bear Creek Road: Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and Papa Bear. Just beyond the hill, a bit to the north-east of our apartment, the roughly 17-mile loop includes some beautiful and widely varied terrain. Most frequently, I find myself suffering too much to enjoy the scenery, but this time I tried to at least grab some decent photos for you all.

When I take the time to do rides such as this one, I am amazed by our proximity such beautiful landscapes. It's quite the jarring transition to complete this ride on a Sunday, mere miles from home, then hop on public transit to run off to my job in the City on Monday. It is rainy season here, so as you can see, the hills are lush and green.

If you squint, you will notice a herd of cows on the hillside. I tried to get a picture of them when I got closer, but it's surprisingly difficult to take good photographs while riding a bicycle. (Anna might argue that it's also dangerous, as she was not thrilled to learn that I was PWR (Photographing While Riding) on this trip, but I contend that a skilled rider such as myself is capable of multi-tasking.) I did manage to get one action shot of myself, however.

This shot is from early in the ride, before all of the suffering. I neglected to take a picture at the end of the ride: crying, whimpering, drooling on myself, starving hysterical naked, just hoping for the pain to end. Please note the bright yellow jacket. Safety first, nerds.

Mama Bear sits at mile 14 or so, after a few miles of gentle climbing. Just as you feel that you have a nice rhythm going, gliding past a few farm houses and horse stables, a gradual right-hand turn brings you this view:

An avid reader of cycling and travel blogs myself, I have always found that pictures do not do justice to the severity of an incline, and I feel the same about this photo. Just trust me when I tell you that Mama is steep and unforgiving, giving no quarter to the weary cyclist. The view from the top almost makes up for the pain, however.

From here, it's one more descent, then the nasty Papa Bear climb to the finish. I was hoping to beat my PR this Sunday, but missed it by a minute and a half: 1:09:30. I would love to blame this mini-failure on the fact that I was taking photos for you, Dear Reader, but it is more likely that I have spent too much time drinking wine and desk-sitting and not enough time on the bike in recent weeks. That will have to change with the spring months and more daylight coming just around the corner. Until next time...